Butter Bean Polenta Pie

Inspired by the Greek Gigandes plaki dish, this baked pie combines baked butter beans in a tomato sauce with a creamy polenta topping.

Preparation Time:15 minsCooking Time:60 minsYield:3 servings

I know a lot of people are put off making polenta because they have experiences of stirring a thick mix on a stove as it spits. That's not a problem with this recipe because the polenta isn't cooked on the stove, it's cooked with the rest of the bake in the oven.

Ingredients

2 cans
canned butter beans (lima beans), drained
(~470g)

1 can
canned chopped tomatoes
(~400g)

5g
fresh basil

2g
salt

1 pinch
ground black pepper
(~0.25g)

25g
unrefined caster sugar

40mL
olive oil
(~36.5g)

1 clove
garlic
(~6g)

150g
fine polenta

250mL
water
(~250g)

Method

Preheat the oven to 210°C (190°C fan assisted).

Boil 200mL water and pour into a suitable bowl.

Shake the polenta into the bowl, one dessert/tablespoon at a time, stirring thoroughly.

Stir 30mL olive oil into the polenta along with 5g sugar and 1g salt.

Put the butter beans, tomatoes, 20g sugar, minced garlic, pepper, basil, 10mL olive oil, 50mL water and 1g of the salt into a small casserole dish and mix together

Spread the polenta on top of the bean mix - this will thicken considerably after being baked.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 hour.

If your polenta is lumpy, you are adding the polenta too quickly or not stirring enough.